Third Israir Incident at Luton Raises Sabotage Suspicions

Israir Aircraft Damaged for Third Time at London Luton, Raising Sabotage Suspicions

An Airbus A320 operating for Israir was damaged by a ground handling tug at London Luton Airport in the United Kingdom, once again raising suspicions of possible sabotage in Israel.

The incident occurred on July 16 before a scheduled flight to Tel Aviv. The flight was cancelled after the tug struck the aircraft, which was subsequently taken out of service for a technical inspection. Around 200 passengers remained on board for nearly two hours before being evacuated. Some were accommodated in hotels, while others were rebooked on alternative flights.

What drew particular attention was Israir’s claim that this was the third incident within the past year in which one of its aircraft had been damaged by ground equipment at London Luton Airport.

Following the incident, Israeli authorities reportedly asked their British counterparts to launch a formal investigation. According to reports in the Israeli media, investigators are also considering whether the incident may have been carried out deliberately and motivated by nationalist sentiment.

However, no official findings or evidence confirming sabotage or deliberate action have been released so far.